New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1887-08-10
ia RIM NJ a. N AGEME'N
The General Emu oyment Of the
Mule for " ork Throughout
the Southern States.
The Prejudice Of the Northern Races Against
the 2: Draft Animal Preferred in Many coun-
s tries-When Grass and Clover Should Be.
Cut in Order to Secure the Best Quality Of
q Hav
Mules For Farm work,

the north at once notices a change in
the draft animals in general USE North
OF it, horses are employed for almost
all purposes for which beasts Of burden
or for draft are employed. South of ii,
horses are used principally for pleasure.
Much Of the heavy work on the farm
Or road is performed by oxen. They
are used in plowlng, drawing stone, and
hauling goods over the roads. The
mule. however, appears to be the an
lmal most generally employed. In cities
and large towns it draws the street
cars, the milk and ice wagons, and the
scavenger-carts. Many women and
children drive mules in the light car
rage generally known as dog carts.
The mule is the general purpose draft
animal. It is employed for moving
freight from one wharf or depot to an
other. Only old or broken-down
horses are seen drawing express
wagons and carts. Horses .'that
have seen better days. that
have carried '.fair women and
brave men, on their backs, that have
won cheers on race tracks, that have
served time in the cavalry service, or
that have drawn pleasure carriages,
are at length consigned to doing
drudgery as a punishment for growing
old, losing their speed, or parting with
their beauty of limb or coat. A horse
doing ordinary work in southern
town is likely to excite our sympathy
Of pity. It seems to be out of its proper
place. II it appears to be young
healthy, and strong, we are inclined to
think that it is vicious, or it would be
drawing a pheaton instead of dung
cart. II it is old, lame, or blind, we
teel sure that at one time it was care
fully groomed each morning, supplied
with the best food the market could af-
ford, petted by the fair and loving
hands, tai ken out of comfortable stable
only for the purpose of aftording
pleasure to the members of the family
residing in the mansion, and then only
driven through the parks or along
fashionable avenues, paved with as
phalt, shaded by trees. and ornament
ed by shrubbery and flowers. Even
the mules look with contempt on the
horse that is obliged to do the same
kind OF work they are engaged in per-
forming. They appear to regard them
as the negro slave did the ''poor white
trash in aaate-6ezlalns days. They appar-
emily know that it failed to attain the
proud position it aspired to reach, is
the victim of disappointment or that
it fell from its high estate. The dogs
and street arabs have no respect for it
as they have for the saddle or carriage
horse. If it excites their pity it is the
pity that is akin to contempt.
On nearly every southern farm,
whether it rejoices in the name of
plantation Oh is simply designated as
the truck patch, the mule is the ..bread-
winner It prepares the ground for
raising corn, sweet potatoes, and all
kinds of small grain. It cultivates the
crops while they are growing, harvests
them when they are ripe; and hauls
them to the house OF market before
The approach Of winter. 1t raises the
the material for the cigars we smoke
and for the sheets between which we
lie down to rest and sleep and dream.
The freedman's idea of worldly wealth
and distinction was expressed in the
desire for forty acres and mule. y
Ihe sixteenth part Of a section of poor
land 'tand MULE were more to him
than the whole earth without this use
full animal. The negro takes as kind
II to the mule as the white man does
to the horse. He knows that the mule
and "nigger' are only priced for the
work they do. There is a sympathy
between them on account of their low
~ conditions. In slavery days, master
rode in a carriage behind the horses,
and servant walked behind the '.bull-
tongue" pillow that was drawn by
mule. The negro and the mule were
brought from the distant east to our
shores solely for the purpose of doing
hard work in the fields. No religious
or political sentiment inspired the pro-
ject for Transporting them.
Most Of the agricultural prosperity
of the southern states has been due to
the mule. 1t is adapted to the climate,
the soil, the work, and the drivers Of
this part of the country. 1t can endure
exposure, and severe usaees
with fewer bad results than any draft
animal. It will keep in good condition
on very poor food and live as long as a
federal oficeholder, whose most labori-
Gus duty consists in drawing his salary.
AS sheep in pasture will eat plants
which cows will not touch. so the mule
in the barn-yard will devour fodder
which the horses will reject. Ii its
legs move less rapidly than those of
the horse, they will hold out to move
through more years, and in the long
run will get over more ground and
ground that is more broken. The mule
is sure of foot. even when the foot is
aimed at some cruel boy who is tor
menting him. For ploWing old ground,
for drawing a harrow, drill, seeder, or
cultivator, there is no better animal
than mule. Very few mules are
breechy or inclined to run away when
they are harnessed up. A mule is no
more likely to forsake a good home
than poor relations are. They will
both STAY where they will get enough